Prince of the Night
by Capt. Corbin A. Noir
Summary: One secret. Many lives. Formerly "A Wayside Agreement" for those of you who read that oneshot. Can Kartik save the one he loves from an unfortunate disaster?
1. Chapter 1

**Wow! Late upgrade! So this is a new story of mine. I based most of it off of the movie "The Illusionist" because I loved the plot. The little scene from "A Wayside Agreement" may have been changed, but it's in here!**** (A Wayside Agreement? Huh?) Enjoy and review!**

_There is a powerful crystal in this world. It has a power beyond any other. But it is wanted among men. Greedy men want it for riches. Scholars want it for knowledge. Rich men want it for power and fame. But there are those who want it to destroy it. For this crystal has a purpose that could overrule all. _

**

* * *

**_Bombay, India, 1899_

The streets of Bombay are busy this time of the day as he makes his way through the markets. He had woken up early to receive the package that had been given to him. The people are brutal as they pass him, late for marketing. The smells of fish fill the air. Nearby, a man gains the attention of the crowd by shoving swords down his throat, and pulling them back out. The sun has no mercy today.

Two men jostle him, nearly knocking the package out of his hand. It slips, but he catches it in time before it hits the ground and shatters into tiny pieces. A small child laughs at him as he sighs. When he reaches a dark corridor, he takes out the object wrapped in cloth. It is still whole. With that, he heads on to his destination.

Ten minutes later, he reaches the train station. The smoke nearly blinds him. He turns to look around. Many people say their sad goodbyes or warm hellos to loved ones. An English family just steps out of the train station. Their little boy looks as if he ate too many treats. As they pass by him, the man and the woman glance at him, and hold their heads high. _What do they know_, the man thinks to himself. _They are the ones that are native to a dangerous land._

There is a room further down from the train station with the entrance covered by a curtain of dark crimson. He pulls it aside and finds himself in a quiet, cool place. He barely has time to look around before two strong men take him by the shoulders and shuffle him into another room. He is pushed inside and finds himself face to face with the powerful man he was appointed to see. His master.

"Your late," the Master says.

"A thousand pardons," the man says. He bows low with his face in the ground to avoid the Master's evil stare.

"Have you the item?" the Master asks, cocking an eyebrow. Without lifting his head from the ground, the man takes out the item wrapped in cloth from one of the pockets of his clothes. One of the strong men take it to the Master.

Once it is in the Master's hand, he removes the cloth. The object shines in the sunlight, reflecting many colors off the wall. The Master exhales deeply.

"Perfect," he whispers. "Absolutely perfect. Don't you agree?" he asks, looking at the man on the floor.

"Extraordinary, master," he says.

"Exactly. But it cannot stay here a moment longer. It has caused too much trouble for us already." The Master hands the object to one of the burly men; who in turn wraps it back up in the cloth and places it in a small box. "It must be sent away."

"But where, Master?" the man says, lifting his head up.

The Master looks up for a moment, and twirls his crimson mustache around his finger. It was a habit of his when he was thinking. "It cannot be in this country any longer, and it is not safe when threatened." He shifts in his seat. "So it must be sent to a place where it is least expected." The Master smiles. He looks at his two men, and they share the same sinister smile.

"And…where would that be?" asks the man, keeping his face to the ground.

"England, man, England!" snaps the Master, annoyed that this man had cut his sinister atmosphere short. "It will be safely hidden there. For the greater good."

"The greater good," the man repeats. "I understand, Master."

"Good man," the Master says. He gives a short nod to the two big men, and they hoist the now dirty-faced man, hand him the box with the object and send him on his way out.

"Wait," the Master calls after them. The others turn around. "There is a criminal by the name of Koda Khan," he says. The man trembles, for Koda Khan was by far the cruelest man in the East. "It seems that he is after this beautiful gem as well," the Master continues. "See to it that it is no where near him, or his men. Understood?"

The man nods.

"On your way, then," the Master waves them off. The man is shoved out of the room.

It is late afternoon when he finally reaches the port. A dark-skinned merchant is there, waiting for him.

"I need a ship that is heading for England," the man says. The merchant looks him over.

"On what business?" he asks.

The man takes out a worn-out piece of cloth from his sack and opens it. On it is a rough drawing of a skull and a sword. The merchant's eyes go wide as he nods. "There is that ship heading for England," he says, pointing to his right. The man turns to see an old, but capable ship waiting at the port. Many passengers in white clothing are boarding. The _Mary Elizabeth_ is engraved on the side.

"I see," the man says, sizing up the ship that had once carried a fellow stowaway from the same Brotherhood a few years ago.

"But you must hurry if you want to catch it in time," the merchant adds.

"Thank you," the man says. He presses a coin into the merchant's hand and heads toward the ship.

The dock is crowded as the man makes his way. Many of the passengers which were mostly English give him curious looks and frustrated stares. He pushes past many of them, and reaches the top.

"Hold it," one of the soldiers says. "May I see your boarding pass?"

The man was prepared. He opened his sack and rummaged inside to find his pass. The people behind him were getting impatient, shouting out in his native tongue or in English. _Ah, here it is._ He takes out his pass just as a big man with huge elbows bumps into him and into his sack. Immediately, the box with the gem flies out, and hits the deck with a _kink! _

The man turns around and crouches down to find it. He's spotted it and is ready to grab it.

"Ah, here it is. I knew I dropped it."

A pair of gloved hands reaches for the box and picks it up, shoving it into a large bag. The bag belonged to an elderly woman. She makes her way past the guards and onto the ship. The man, who was too bewildered by it all, has no choice but to follow her.

He is allowed past the guards, and looks for the woman. She has disappeared.

_The Master will have my head_, he says to himself. _But at least it is still on its way to England. All I have to do is find it._

The man looks around the ship, then goes inside and sits down, waiting for the woman to show up a dreading the worst.

Meanwhile, an elderly woman sips a glass of water, looking out the window and looking forward to witnessing one of the most talked-about weddings in London.

**

* * *

**The merchant watches the _Mary Elizabeth_ leave from the dock, heading for England. He takes out a paper and a piece of charcoal, and scribbles down four words. Then, he manages to place it in the beak of the pigeon waiting and watches as it flies off towards his master. 

He knew that once his master read the note, he would be on his way at once. Victory would be theirs once again.

_He heads for England _

**Oooh! Interesting! ****Suspenseful. I love it! **

**So this must be an interesting bit for y'all. What will happen to whatever is in the box? **

**Review and tell me what you think!**

**With all due respect,**

**Captain Corbin**

**Review or else inspiration is lost! That's not a good feeling! And check out "The Great Rakshana" by LunaEquus if you haven't already! Great stuff!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh, in case y'all didn't know, the first chapter was told in a gene****ral perspective. There was no character POV in that one. **

**I really would appreciate it if all of you reading this story could leave a review in each chapter if you can. It would make my day!**

The pigeon perches on the windowsill of my room behind the curtain. Since it has been a long time since the Rakshana made it clear I was unwanted, it was rare to have a carrier pigeon waiting at my window. How they manage to find me, I have no clue.

I had often debated whether I should have gone back to India, or stayed here. In the end, I figured that I couldn't leave. I wouldn't go back to India leading a poor and uneventful life. But somehow, I still felt trapped. I felt that the world around me was going too fast for me to catch up. Then, there was her.

I didn't have to stay and watch her, but I felt like I had to. I wanted to. I don't know why, but there was that feeling that I couldn't name. That feeling that drives me crazy thinking about it. Her golden-red hair. Her piercing green eyes. I always tell myself that she is too good to be true. That she has probably found some other man, an English gentleman to make her happy. But she would want that. I know her too well for that.

With all these thoughts rushing in my head, I head towards the now impatient pigeon and gingerly take the message out of its mouth. I take off the ribbon and unroll the message and recognize the handwriting.

_I need to talk to you._

Ahmed. He was a close friend of mine, and in league with the Rakshana. We became friends was a long time ago. Amar knew him.

What did he need to talk to me about? Was trouble was there? I throw my cloak around my shoulders and fasten the lapel. It was tricky business, because my hair had gotten longer, falling across my eyes and blocking my vision. I have to do something about that.

Looking once again at the pigeon at the window, I place the ribbon in its mouth; a symbol saying that I had read the message, but had no reply. With that, the pigeon is off.

**

* * *

**When I stand at the doorway of his rooms, he stands and looks at me. A smile twitches in the corners of his mouth. "Kartik," he says. "You have grown." 

Looking at him standing there smiling at me reminds me of how much I've actually missed him. "It's nice to see you again," I manage to say. He crosses over to the door behind me, and pulls it shut. As soon as the door is shut, I find myself being pulled into a bear hug.

"You are looking more and more like your brother," he says.

I smile, despite how that saddens me a little. My brother was dead; killed by Circe's assassin, trying to save a life. Her mother's life.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" I say, sitting on his bed. "I never thought I'd see you here in London."

He pulls out a chair and sits down. "I'm here because of an important business."

"And what business is that?"

He picks up a small knife from the table and starts to clean his nails. "I was called in Bombay," he starts. "It had something to do with this…" he takes out a folded piece of paper and hands it to me. I unfold it, and look at the drawing inside. "It's a rock," I say, stating the obvious.

"Of course it is," Ahmed says. "But do you know what kind of rock this is?"

I give him a curious look.

"It's a crystal, Kartik," he says.

I look at the drawing again. It does look like a crystal. "I know that," I say defiantly.

He continues anyway. "But do you know what this crystal is capable of doing?"

"No."

"Why, it could bring a whole army to its knees. It would have Kings begging just to have a glimpse at it. This crystal could be the source of any man's joy!"

"Then, that must be a good thing, then?" I ask. Ahmed shakes his head.

"It is a very bad thing. Think of what it could do. It could destroy us all, if it falls into bad company. It is a threat."

A threat. Those two words conjure images into my mind. Images of when the Rakshana considered Her to be a threat. And thoughts of how I thought of her in another manner. What was she doing now?

"That is why I was called to destroy it," Ahmed was saying. "I need to destroy it before Koda Khan gets his hands on it."

I brush away my thoughts. "Koda Khan?"

Ahmed nods. "Surely, you've heard of him back in India?"

Ah, those were the days when I was a boy. Amar had told me tales of Koda and his men. Of how they defeated ten armies in one battle; how they escaped from prisons right under the guards very nose; how they were powerful enough to conquer the East, and that nothing could stop them. I thought he was a myth.

"If Koda gets his hands on this crystal, then…"

"…Then he is truly unstoppable," Ahmed finishes. "And we've been trying to stop him for years."

I nod. "Where is the crystal, then? Do you have it?"

Color rises in Ahmed's cheeks. "That is the problem," he mumbles. "I…I lost it."

"Lost it?" I am staring at him in the face now.

He jumps up. "But it is here in London! I have been following the woman who took it on accident."

I cock my head sideways.

"That is why I need you, Kartik," He takes out a white card from his bag. There is purple lace bordering the card. Purple. Her favorite color.

"Do you know of a house in Belgrave Square, near Hyde Park?"

Belgrave Square. Wasn't that where Her grandmother's house was? "I think so. Why?"

He hands me the card, and I read the fine print. My blood runs cold. "The crystal may be heading for this address."

"How do you know?"

"I overheard her say that it was going to be a gift. For who, I don't know."

I think I have a feeling.

"I'll need you to get that crystal and bring it to me as soon as it is in your hands," he says, taking the card again.

I stare down at the floor.

"Kartik, are you alright?"

"I'm just fine," I say, looking anything but fine. "But I have one question. Why do you want me to get the crystal?"

He places a hand on my shoulder. "I trust you can do it better than I can. Besides, I'm in enough trouble already." He opens the door, and I step out, but he takes one more look at me.

"You really do look like your brother," he says. "Except for the nose. Yours is straight."

I smile. "I hope we'll meet again."

"Take care of yourself."

Once the door is closed, I make my way back outside, thankful for the fresh air and trying to get my thoughts away from what was on the card. But as always, it was impossible.

_Kartik, it looks like you'll be going to a wedding, _I tell myself. It calms me down a bit, but that cold feeling of dread still dominates my stomach.

A dread that I know exactly _whose_ wedding I will be going to.

**Okay, so this chapter wasn't that long, but I think it's a good chapter. Kartik is going back to Gemma's house! Yay him! The poor dude has been thinking about her a lot.**** Show some love and review!**

**With all due respect, and knows that she'll have the Devil to pay for the next chapter,**

**Captain C. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Y'all are ****gonna**** hate me for this, but a Captain has to make decisions. **

"I never thought this day would come!" Grandmama's face is pink with excitement. The maid pulls on my corset a little too hard, causing me to draw in breath a little too quickly. "Our Gemma Doyle is finally getting married!"

Another maid fixes my skirt, making me shift to the left. "And to the Honorable Simon Middleton no less!"

Again with the corset business.

"It's just so wonderful to see that all those years have finally paid off!"

"Yes, but I don't think they will after Simon finds his bride dead from her corset." At that, the maid loosens it a little, and I exhale.

A necklace of pearls is draped across my neck and a veil is placed over my head. Grandmama hasn't let me look in the mirror yet, but I have a feeling I look lively.

"It looks like you're all finished," Grandmama looks at me with tears in her eyes. This is a first. "You look lovely," she says. I step down from the wooden box I was standing on, and look at myself in the mirror as Grandmama and the servants leave. She was right.

My hair is tied in the latest and elegant fashion, complete with a white rose. I pull the veil away from my face and stare. My eyes seem more mysterious outlined in black. And I've grown in many other ways as well.

My thighs have become a little bigger, but it wasn't a problem. And I look much more grown up than I used to, which saddens me a little. To think that what I went through a few years back was over. And that my life has changed me in ways I've never thought possible. I rub my rose-painted lips together and exhale deeply despite the corset I was forced into. My fingers find the brooch that Simon gave me. I'm getting married. I'm getting married to a man that doesn't know the real Gemma Doyle.

I fix my hair again and stare at myself in the mirror. That's odd. My mind is playing tricks on me. In the corner there is a rather tall Indian man with full lips and curly black hair leaning against the frame of my wind— Kartik!

I force myself not to turn around, but his refection is still there in the mirror.

"I'm dreaming," I say out loud. "My mind is playing tricks on me, that's all."

"If you think I'm a figment of your imagination, then you're mistaken," the man says. He walks around the room. I hold my breath and stand firm. "You're not dreaming."

This can't be happening. This is too good to be happening.

"I thought I'd never see you again after what happened, but I'm back." He stops and gives me a sideway glance. "And I've missed you."

I turn around and fill my eyes with the sight of him.

"It really is great to see you again, Gemma." He breaks into that ever so sweet grin that had always made me melt just thinking about it.

"I can't believe it. This is…" I couldn't find the right word, so I let it go. "What are you doing here?"

Immediately, the grin is gone, replaced by a serious look. I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be that pleasant. "What happened?" I start, "Is there trouble? What kind?"

"Slow down, Gemma," he says in a way that makes my insides tingle. "There is trouble, but not the trouble you're probably thinking."

I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't been to the realms in a while, and the thought of there being chaos without my knowledge was a scary thought.

Kartik sits down on the settee in the corner and assumes a new look. "There is this crystal," he starts. "It has a power beyond any other. It could be used for anything you want." The corner of his lips twitch slightly into a smile, but there is sorrow in his eyes as he looks at me. I am well aware that I am wearing a wedding dress. "But this crystal can cause terrifying trouble if it falls into the wrong hands."

Terrifying trouble. I almost let out a laugh. Haven't I seen worse than that?

Kartik sees the wit in my eyes. "Gemma, I don't think you understand. This crystal could destroy the world if someone wills it."

"I do understand," I say removing my veil. "But terrifying trouble is nothing compared to the last time. You should know that." He was dead, but now he's back. _Too good to be true._

He nods and looks off. There is an awkward silence in the air. Eager to get back to the subject, I speak up. "So this…crystal. If it falls into the wrong hands, it can cause danger?"

He nods. "Incredible danger."

"Then we should find it, shouldn't we? Since it's so powerful?"

"We have found it," he says slowly. "But…we lost it. Again."

I shoot him a look. "Lost it?"

He jumps up. "See, that's what I said! I was just as surprised as you are."

"You mean…someone else told you about it?"

"An old friend," he says. I look back at my reflection in the mirror. To think that Kartik was alive and living his own agenda in the world once again was still beyond my knowledge's' reach.

"And the crystal might be on its way here."

"Here?"

Kartik nods again. "So I'm counting on you to keep a sharp eye for it."

"But why should it be heading here?"

"I don't know," he says, heading back toward the window. I didn't want him to leave so soon. "Maybe it here for a special reason. A gift maybe." Once again, he looks me up and down with those sad eyes. And again I remind myself that I am getting married.

"You look…wonderful," he says suddenly. "You future husband must be a lucky man." Then he shakes his head, and hoists himself out the window.

Once he is out, I head towards the window and stare out just in time to see his cloak disappear into the night. I want to follow him, turn myself into a raven and follow him, but I don't. And I have a feeling that I will regret it.

_He's alive._

Suddenly, the door bursts open and Felicity comes in with Ann at her heels. "Surprise, surprise!" Felicity says giving me a tight embrace. I am indeed happy to see them both.

"Felicity! I thought you were in Paris!" I say.

"And miss the opportunity to be the bridesmaid for the mysterious Gemma Doyle?"

My mouth hangs wide open. "Really? You too, Ann?"

Ann nods and looks around. It may not be so, but I can detect a hint of charcoal around her eyes.

"Charlie said it was okay for me to take time off to come here. Especially to witness your wedding."

No matter what they look like I am glad to see them.

"And to Simon no doubt." Felicity sits on the settee recently vacated by Kartik. "Isn't that a surprise?"

My face falls. Up till now I hadn't realized how fast this was all going. He had come to call many times, and we had had great fun together, but something in Simon hadn't changed, and I realized now that marrying him probably was too soon.

"It is a surprise," I say to my reflection.

"But whatever happened to Kartik," Fee plays with a scarf on the settee. "It must have been terrible."

My heart skips a beat when she says him name with such ease. But he was alive. He had just gone out my window. But they'd probably think I was crazy for saying so…

"Wait until you go outside and see all the gifts," Ann pipes up. "It has taken two tables to hold them!"

Two tables. Of gifts. The crystal!

I turn to both of them. "Fee, Ann, there's something you must know…"

**

* * *

**Minutes later, they stare at me, mouths open and eyes wide. "He's alive?" Ann says. "But I thought he was…" 

"So did I," I say. This dress is becoming a little too awkward.

"And this…crystal. It can do anything? Absolutely anything?" Fee says eyeing me closely.

"Apparently, that's what Kartik said."

Felicity continues to look at me and I can see a gleam in her eye. Felicity, no…..

"Well we should get going," Fee stands up and pulls Ann towards the door. For the first time, I've noticed that they are wearing identical purple dresses with their hair neatly piled on their head. Purple. My favorite color.

"Fee, I thought you would stick to trousers," I call over my shoulder.

She looks back. "Do you really think they'd let me be your bridesmaid if I wore trousers to your wedding?" She smiles. "And don't worry. We'll keep an eye on the crystal." With that, they are out the door.

I am alone. And it is a good feeling. Some fresh air will do just fine since it is hot in here. I open the window and breathe in greedy gulps. When I open my eyes, I think I see a man staring at me from the shadows. When I look again, he is gone.

**You do notice that I didn't say HOW Kartik came back to life. You'll know soon enough.**

**Oh, who was the man spying on Gemma? You'll know soon enough on that as well, just you wait!**

**In the meantime read & review or else the evil leprechauns will steal Kartik away and sacrifice him for their evil ritual. **

**With all due respect, **

**Capt. C **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the reviews! One million Kartiks for all of you!**

The pigeon perches on the windowsill of my chambers high up in an isolated area. I stop playing with the knife in my hand before it sheds blood once again, as it is always capable of doing. I watch silently as the bird hops onto the cushions of my large bed and approaches me gingerly with a message in its mouth. Carefully, I take the message with one hand and place it in my lap. The bird hops away from me, ready to take flight, but I grab my knife and plunge it into the hopeless bird. The creature lay lifeless on the cushion I had also torn into and a growing stain of red changes to purple against the blue fabric.

When I wipe my hands and open the note, I expect to see a long letter of interest, but instead, I find only four words.

_He heads for England._

Now what was this all about? I shift into a sitting position, careful not to wake up the sleeping figure of the concubine next to me. With the clap of my hands, two servants come to attend to me. One fits me into my robe while the other places sandals onto my feet.

I look at the note again. Who is heading for England and why? Why do they always bother me with nonsense about something that doesn't apply to me?

As the servants retreat, I grab one by the hand and tell him to send for Rashad, my advisor. The servant nods and heads for the door. But not before I give him a smack on his backside. The boy stiffens, but says nothing as he heads out. I chuckle and lay back down, grabbing the sleeping woman by her bare waist and running my hands along her bare chest. She makes gurgling noise and turns the other way. Such fun, such fun.

I hear footsteps approaching my chambers. Rashad must be coming. I get up, avoiding the blood stain and the dead bird. Sure enough, Rashad enters the room, and bows low. He mutters his greeting and stands up. The young man has changed a lot ever since I promised to take care of him. His curly black hair falls across his eyes in a mysterious way, and his strong straight nose and full lips look incredibly handsome. I sometimes wonder why he is still a bachelor. But there is the business of his eyes. They were not like most young men in this region. No, they were not even brown at all. They were dark blue. This was proof that he was not exactly what he seemed.

"You wanted to see me, Master?" he says in that voice of his.

I slide off the bed, making sure he sees the woman that was at my side. He does, but his gaze does not stay on her for long. His eyes shift to the dead bird.

"Do you know what to make of this letter?" I say, handing it to another servant that had been at my side. The servant gives it to him. He opens the letter and reads the four words. Then, he nods. "I was going to talk to you about this, Master," he says.

"Then what is it about? Speak quicker, young man!"

"This letter," he says calmly. "May have something to do with what we've been searching for."

"And what would that be?" I was loosing patience.

The boy murmurs his answer.

"What did you say?"

"The crystal," he says louder.

"What crystal?" I am confused. "I have a lot of crystals."

"The crystal that has power beyond our knowledge. The one that was in our hands, but has disappeared. That crystal!"

Oh.

Really?

"Ah, yes, that crystal." I say, pacing the room. "The crystal that has power beyond our knowledge, the crystal that we must retrieve at all costs." I twirl the knife in my hand. "And why do you think this letter will have anything to do with the crystal?"

"It may be heading somewhere in England. The man who had it last was seen boarding the _Mary Elizabeth_ more than a week ago."

"And what does this have to do with it?"

"He was Rakshana."

I stop. The Rakshana. The despicable Rakshana that took so much from us, and slashed my reputation for five years. Now everything was coming back to me.

"Ah, yes," I say. "And this man, he was named…Ahmed, right?"

"Correct."

"And he was given responsibility of our crystal, therefore taking it to England and keeping it under his watch, am I correct?"

Rashad hesitates. "Well, on the way, he….lost it, Master."

"Lost it?" My knife slips, giving me a small cut on my thumb. I should be annoyed at this, but I am a little fascinated at seeing my own blood. "How did he lose it?"

"We do not know for sure."

"Then, if we don't know where it is, then how on earth can we find it?" The rise in my voice causes the woman to stir and moan on the bed.Rashad's face blanches, but he still holds my gaze with those blue eyes. He is about to speak, when one of the servants come in with Mozeen, the prophet.

Mozeen bows down and mutters his greeting. When the shrill decrepit old man gets up, he bursts out immediately. "My Master, I am your humble servant Mozeen and am here with interesting news!" he stops.

"Speak up!" I roar.

"The charts and the gods have spoken to me this morning as I woke up, to cry out your praises."

Rashad keeps his eyes on the near-sighted man and I find myself wishing that they were reverted once again on me.

"That man, Ahmed, from the brotherhood of the Rakshana is in England, but he bareth not the crystal—"

"Yes, yes, I know that part. Go on!"

"The crystal is in London, my Master. In the possession of an English woman."

The rest of us draw in breath.

"It waits there, wanting someone to claim it for their own!"

"Incredible," I murmur.

"Do you know where exactly it is?" says Rashad. Mozeen says nothing, for he stands there with a blank look on his face as if he were in a trance.

"No matter," I say. "Prepare my men. Make sure their horses are well fed, and their armor and weapons are polished. We have a long journey ahead of us."

Rashad nods, bows and heads out the door. The servant in charge of Mozeen bows for him, and escorts the elderly man out the door. There is silence in the room as I mull this over. The crystal will be mine once again. When we get to the place in London, I will spare no one. There is a soft sneeze behind me. I turn around and see the woman staring back at me. She has seen and heard the whole thing. I could end her life right now, but I think better of it. I grab the dead bird and toss it at her.

"Make me something to eat, woman," I say. She nods, collects her clothes and starts to head out the door.

**Koda Khan is rude! And he killed an innocent bird! A pigeon!**

**I wonder what Rashad's physical appearance (save the blue eyes) reminds you of. Hint, hint. **

**Read and review, or else Khan will haunt you in your sleep, killing our beloved Kartik! **

**With all due respect and wishing everyone a very happy unbirthday (if it isn't your actual birthday),**

**Captain Corbin **


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